


Spare change

by CharlotteML



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Bullying, Ends happily though, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-06-21
Packaged: 2018-07-16 12:20:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7267906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharlotteML/pseuds/CharlotteML
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day before his father's birthday, Ishimaru finds himself 10 yen short to buy his favourite brand of sake. It takes the intervention of some random thug to stop Ishimaru humiliating himself for the money.</p>
<p>(Pre-despair: Set a few years before he starts at Hope's Peak)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spare change

**Author's Note:**

> This was something that popped into my head of while writing a longer piece. It's my first time posting so sorry if I've not tagged or formatted stuff correctly!
> 
> Also I read that buying alchohol for their parents something that kids in Japan can do in the supermarket, which is why Ishimaru's buying sake despite being 12 or so.

Ishimaru nervously slipped past the group of thugs crowding around the beer selection and made his way down the aisle to the bottles of sake. It felt slightly…wrong for him to be buying alcohol underage, but it was his father’s birthday tomorrow and he’d taken it upon himself to buy the man the best bottle of sake he could afford (with money scraped together from doing whatever odd-jobs people would give him) ever since his mother had died two years ago. 

He wasn’t sure exactly how much money he had left after the pair of new boots he’d bought as his father’s present. Somewhere in the region of 2500-3000 yen probably. Not enough to buy the nice brand his mother had always chosen, anyway.

With that thought, he looked to the side at the place where that bottle always was, only to spot an unusual sign. It was on sale! Down from 3900 to 2900 yen! He…he might have that much left! 

Ishimaru crouched on the floor to sort out the various coins he had in his pockets, putting them into piles of the same value. Let’s see, 500, 1000, 1500 (Those were all the 500’s) 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000, 2100, 2200, (That was the 100’s gone) 2250, 2300, 2350, 2400, 2450, 2500, 2550, 2600… That was the last of the 50’s. He just needed to have thirty 10 yen coins! 

He scooped up the pile of 10’s and started counting 1,2,3… all the way 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29…29…29… 

Oh no, please! He must have _something_ left to count! He checked all his pockets again, coming up empty. NO! He was just 10 yen short! 

Ok, don’t panic! Maybe he could do some work tonight and buy the bottle tomorrow? The sale would still be on, right? He checked the tag again…The sale ended after today! And the shop closed in 25 minutes. He wouldn’t have time! ARGH! 

He sighed, why hadn’t he worked just a bit harder? If he’d earnt just 10 more yen he could have really made his father happy on his birthday. He sadly picked up all his coins, at least he knew how much he had to spend now… 

“What the? What’s Hell’s Hall Monitor doing in the sake aisle?” It was Katsushika, a boy from his class who didn’t like him much (and said so often), he was accompanied by two other boys from their class, who were often following him around. 

“I’m buying a treat for my father’s birthday.” He explained, standing up off the floor. 

“Heh, and you can only afford to treat him ‘cos it’s on sale?” 

“Ah, not even then it seems.” He admitted, “I’m 10 yen short. Excuse me.” He went to make his way further down the aisle to the cheaper brands. 

“Is that all you need? I’ve got some spare change…” Ishimaru turned back, Katsushika was twirling a 10 yen coin between his fingers. He flipped it into the air and Ishimaru’s eyes followed its path up and down, mesmerised. 

“You want it?” Katsushika asked holding out the coin. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all! 

“Ah! Yes! Thanks you!” Ishimaru bowed deeply, “I’ll pay you back as soon as I can!” He reached out to take the coin. 

The coin fell from Katsushika’s fingers onto the floor between them. “Hey, you dropped something there. You gonna pick it up?” 

Ishimaru was pretty sure Katsushika had been the one to drop it, but he was hardly going to be rude to someone who was helping him so much! He bent down to pick up the coin, but Katsushika’s boot stepped on it just as he was about to reach it. “Ah, Katsushika-kun. I can’t pick it up with your foot there…” 

Katsushika snorted. “What? You thought I’d loan an Ishimaru money?” He laughed, “Everyone knows how much debt you’re in! I’d never see it back!” 

“I assure I will make paying you back my utmost priority!” Ishimaru promised. “It’s only 10 yen, I should be able to earn it tomorrow and pay you back…” 

“Hell no. I ain’t loaning you _shit_.” Katsushika sneered. “You want this coin? You’re gonna earn it!” He slid his foot forward. “Clean my boots.” 

Tch! Well, his attitude was appalling but at least the task wasn’t an onerous one, given the circumstances. He dug a handkerchief from his pocket and learnt forward. 

“No, use your _tongue_.” Katsushika ordered. His followers laughed. 

Ishimaru froze. “That… wouldn’t be very clean.” Also it would be humiliating. 

“Hey, customer’s always right. Unless you don’t wanna buy your Dad his nice sake?” 

Ishimaru mind flashed up an image of how excited his father had always been when his mother poured the sake out on his birthdays, and how he’d briefly grimaced in distaste when he tried the ones Kiyotaka had bought. 

“Huh, guess you don’t want it…” Katsushika slid his foot backwards, taking the coin with it. 

“WAIT” Ishimaru yelled “I…I’ll do it.” Katsushika laughed and slid his foot back forwards. 

Ishimaru breathed in and tried to ignore the guffaws from the other boys as he leant forwards towards the boot. Just… just get this over with and he could buy his father the nice sake and he’d be happy tomorrow… He licked his lips nervously and opened his mouth. 

 

“For _fucks sake_!” A voice yelled from behind him and Ishimaru felt a hand grab the back of his collar and chocked as he was pulled upwards “Stand up on ya feet you fuckin’ dumbass!” Ishimaru awkwardly found his footing and the hand let go of him. “And you lot! Pick up your damn money and scram before I pound ya!” 

There was the sound of running footsteps and by the time Ishimaru managed to get his breath back and open his eyes the boys were gone, taking the 10 yen with them. 

“Why? Why did you _do_ that!?” He yelled at the man who’d accosted him, it was one of the thugs who’d been near the beer. He looked like he could have been attractive, if he wasn’t wearing ridiculous black eyeliner and cropped the black floppy hair to a sensible length. He clothes were sloppy to, he was wearing a loose, low cut white tank top and a long, white gang-style coat. “I…I needed that money!” 

“Tch! What? You think your old man would want ya to kiss some assholes boots for 10 yen, jus’ so you could buy him a drink?” The man snapped at him “If that’s true he sounds like an asshole!” 

“How _dare_ you!? At least my father isn’t some delinquent hoodlum!” 

“I might be a hoodlum, but at least I have _pride_ , kid!” 

“Pride in _what?_ ” Ishimaru bristled, “I know your type! My father arrests them all the time! Your appearance is sloppy and you have no plan in life, so you just roam around indulging in whatever stupid urges you feel, with no regard for your fellow men! You’re just weaklings using your muscles to get what you want!” 

“Hey, Daiya… Is this kid mouthing off at ya?” One of the other men had heard him and approached, looking at him menacingly. Ishimaru suddenly realised that he’d been antagonising a violent gangster who was over a foot taller than him. 

“Leave it, Tatsu. I’ll deal with this.” The man grabbed Ishimaru by the wrist. “You think I’m a weakling, huh? Well, I’m gonna show you I’m _not_!” 

Ishimaru squeezed his eyes shut. This was going to hurt. Still… Maybe if the man beat him up quickly he could still run after Katsushika and beg for the coin before the shop closed? 

The man squeezed his wrist harder, forcing his hand open. Ishimaru felt something round and metal being pressed into his hand, then another hand forcing his own closed around it. Then both hands were taken away. 

After a few seconds he opened his eyes, the man he’d been arguing with was just smirking at him. Ishimaru opened his hand to look at the item that had been placed in it. 

It was a 10 yen coin.

 

“What? W-what do you want me to do?” He asked, confused. Surely this random hoodlum wouldn’t be loaning him money without a catch? 

“Buy your old man his sake.” The man rolled his eyes. 

“Ah…Is that it?” Ishimaru couldn’t believe it, but he couldn’t let himself be indebted to the man. “Where will you be tomorrow?” He asked. 

“Somewhere that’s not this cheap shithole!” 

“Ah, but… H-how will I pay you back?” 

“Seriously? Kid, its _10 yen_!” The man sighed, “Its spare change! I don’t need it back” 

“No! I’m sorry, I can’t accept that!” It might be a pathetically small amount, but he couldn’t stand the thought of adding to his family’s debts. “There must be _something_ I can do in return!” 

“Get stronger.” The man replied. 

“Err, you mean weight training?” How would that help him? 

“No! You pretty much said yourself muscles don’t make ya strong!” The man sighed again, “Find someone weaker than you. And then _help them_!” He ruffled Ishimaru's hair. “Its hard work, but it makes you _both_ stronger!” 

Was that why he’d helped him, even after he’d insulted him? He’d never heard anyone say anything like that before, but looking at the confident man in front of him, he thought it sounded wonderful. 

“Thank you, sir!” He saluted, “I won’t forget this!” 

“Sure thing, kid.” The man replied, “Now buy the sake!” 

“Ah, right!” He picked up a bottle and headed towards the counter. If only his grandfather had had that philosophy… How many people would the Prime Minister have been stronger than? What a waste, no wonder everyone hated his family.

Perhaps he could try to make up for it? To rise the ranks of politics and spread that wonderful thought of everyone working hard to better themselves and the others around them? 

It would be hard work. ( _But it’ll make us all stronger_ …). He smiled.


End file.
